MINISTER of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday said that no backchannel diplomacy is presently taking place between Pakistan and India.
Speaking in the Senate during question hour, Khar said that backchannel diplomacy must take place if it is fruitful but “no backdoor diplomacy is currently taking place with India” as the hostility from New Delhi is of “unique nature”.
During tenure of the previous Government (of PTI) a conscientious decision was taken not to have talks with India until and unless New Delhi revokes its unilateral decisions of August 5, 2019 when the Indian government abolished Article 370 of the Constitution which grants special status to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Some quarters were spreading rumours about backdoor contacts with India in a reversal of the policy that reflected national consensus on the issue of talks with India but the statement of the Minister has clarified the situation once again.
Pakistan surely wants negotiations with India but substantive one to address the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
This position was reiterated recently by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who declared that Pakistan wants serious and sincere talks to resolve burning issues like Kashmir.
A spokesman of the PM Office also clarified that the premier has “repeatedly stated on record that talks can only take place after India has reversed its illegal action of August 5, 2019”.
There is no doubt that the Kashmir issue is not receiving the kind of attention it deserves because of internal weaknesses of Pakistan but it augurs well that there was no change in the principled position of the country on this vital issue. And in fact no Government in Pakistan can afford to do so.
